Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who dispense prescription medication and provide information about the medication to patients. Pharmacists help to ensure that patients use medications both safely and effectively. They typically work in healthcare facilities or retail drug stores. If you want to pursue a career in a field with excellent job prospects and are interested in science, attending an online pharmacy school may be right for you.

Types of Online Pharmacy Degrees

In order to work as a pharmacist in the US, you are required to have a PharmD degree, which is a doctorate degree in pharmacy and pass a state licensing exam. Online pharmacy training is also offered at the associate’s degree and certificate level. However, bachelor’s degrees in pharmacy are no longer being awarded, as the PharmD degree has replaced them completely.

Associate’s degrees and certificates in pharmacy typically prepare graduates to become pharmacy technicians. A pharmacy technician’s job is to lighten a pharmacist’s workload by assisting in the distribution of medications to patients and processing and preparing prescriptions. Some online pharmacy classes that you may be required to take in a pharmacy technician program include:

Anatomy and physiology

Medical terminology

Pharmacology

Pharmacy administration

An associate’s degree in pharmacy may meet the admissions requirements for a PharmD program, because to be admitted, students must have completed two to three years of undergraduate study; however, the majority of pharmacists elect to earn a bachelor’s degree before pursuing a PharmD. Students typically must have taken courses in mathematics, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities in order to qualify for entrance. PharmD programs generally take four years to complete and involve a practicum component. Online pharmacy courses may include study in:

Medicinal agents

Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacology

Pharmaceutical care skills

Pharmacy and the healthcare system

Law and ethics in pharmacy practice

Why Enroll in an Online Pharmacy Program?

Online pharmacy colleges offer numerous benefits. Online programs are designed for working professionals, so they enable you to earn your degree while attending to life’s other responsibilities. Since you don’t have to commute to campus, they save you time and transportation costs. Additionally, the textbooks for online schools may be ebooks, which are typically less expensive than their printed counterparts. Whether you’re raising kids, working full-time or both, online pharmacy schools work around your busy schedule.

Earning a pharmacy degree is likely to be a smart career move, as the job opportunities in the pharmacy field are also expected to be excellent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacists earned an average of $113,390 in 2011, while pharmacy techs earned $28,940. Positions for pharmacists are expected to increase faster than average at a rate of 25% through 2020, while employment for pharmacy technicians should grow 32%. There is a demand in the pharmacy field, because of the increasing number of middle-aged and elderly people who continue to use prescription drugs.

Why not fill the need for skilled pharmacists by learning how to fill prescriptions at an online pharmacy school? Pharmacy is a rewarding, lucrative career that is ideal for those who want to help people on the path to health and healing. Investigate the educational opportunities available in the pharmacy field now!